And belated devices



W9. SNES, BANK PROTECTlON AND RELATED DEVCES Search Ream BENJAMIN SHERWOOD, F NEW YORK, N. Y.

SAFE.

` Specification of Letters Patent No. 11,842, dated October 24, 1854.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN SHER- woon, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Filling or Composition for Safes intended to Render them F ireprool and I hereby declare that the following is a full and exact description.

The composition which I have invented has both a lireresisting andre annihilating quality. I prepare it as follows: I take clay. and dry it andV pulverize it. I then melt with. dry heat, alum or any similar salt that will so melt-alum is the best. I

mixl the powdered clay with the alum so melted till-'the composition forms a mortar.

In"L this state I put it in to the safe, between the outerv and inner casing. The clay should be dry, and the composition should be used ot, as it sets hard, and becomes almost as hard as a stone, thereby .rendering the safe unusually strong. When the vcomposition has set it is dry and: never until heated gives out dampness.

To put in this composition I lay the safe on its face-or door side. The outside case is entire. with "the exceptionv of its back panel. The inner case is ready to put in.

I lay the tiles (made ofcommon fire brick materials) next the outside, and upon them lay the composition. If the inner case is not in, it is now put in. The tiles areplaced neXt the outer case all around and the composition packed in. The same is, done with the back of the safe. The composition is put on of the required Vthickness and the tiles laid on last. The back panel is slid into its place and the safe is complete. Another way to lill it 'is this: I put in the tiles and support vthem all in their places and then 'having made the composition thinner by the use ot a greater proportion of the alum, I pour it in like grouting.

When this safe is exposed to re the alum will melt and expend its moisture or other gases issuing at the crevices and extinguishing the fire around the safe.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the construction of safes isl 1. The combination of clay with about an equal quantity of alum of commerce or any other saltthat will melt with dry heat to form a lire resisting and lire annihilating compound as above described.

2. I also claim placing in the safe neXt the outer wall, a thin fire brick or tile to protect the composition from the contact ot re when the iron shall have burnt through arranged substantially as above described.

BENJAMIN SHERWOOD.

Witnesses: i

OWEN G. WARREN, D. F. CLEARY, 

